What You Should Know About Weight Loss Supplements

Being obese or overweight can take a toll on literally EVERY one of your internal organs and functions. It can increase your risk of psychological disorders, speed up cerebral degeneration, prevent healthy respiration, interfere with your digestion, slow your metabolism, reduce the production of energy, block your blood vessels, strain your heart, overwork your organs, prevent healthy reproductive organ function, damage your musculoskeletal system, and the list goes on. If you want to be healthy, it’s in your best interest to lose weight.

Easier said than done, right? If weight loss was easy, we’d all be in amazing shape. No, on the contrary, weight loss is one of the hardest things you will ever do. Remember that your body is designed to STORE body fat, not burn it. Losing weight is essentially going against your body’s innate design, so it will take a lot more effort than gaining weight.

Difficult, but not impossible. Weight loss is absolutely possible through a healthy lifestyle, balanced meals, and daily exercise. However, there are a few supplements that may lend a helping hand to your efforts. Here are a few of the best weight loss supplements for you to try:

Green Tea — Hard to believe a cup of green tea can help you to lose weight, but it’s true! Green tea contains antioxidants that help with the oxidation (burning) of fatty acids, making it easier for your body to turn fat cells into energy. There are bioactive substances in green tea that will actually target the fat around your belly, the dangerous fat that increases your risk of metabolic disorders and reduces organ function. The caffeine in green tea can stimulate your metabolism and increase energy production, helping you to burn more calories every day.

Irvingia Gabonensis — Irvingia Gabonensis, or the African mango as it’s commonly known, may be just what you need to suppress your appetite, control your cholesterol, and increase your weight loss. A 2005 study out of Cameroon found that Irvingia not only helped obese people to lose weight, but it also lowered their “bad” LDL cholesterol levels while increasing their “good” HDL cholesterol levels. The high fiber content of the fruit helps to suppress your appetite and fills your stomach, making it easier for you to say “no” to food you know you shouldn’t eat.

Calcium —Did you know that eating dairy products can help you lose weight? High fat content or no, milk, cheese, and yoghurt can all contribute to fat burning thanks to their high calcium content. Calcium does so much more than just strengthen your bones, but it enables your body to activate fatty acids for burning. There is plenty of evidence to back up the claim that calcium plays a role in weight loss, particularly among the already overweight/obese. Those who consume more calcium while cutting back on calories have a much greater chance of serious weight loss/fat burning results.

Capsaicin, Green Tea Extract (w/ Caffeine), Tyrosine, and Calcium — In a 2005 study, it was discovered that mixing these four ingredients could help to increase energy expenditure by up to 2% even without exercise. There were no changes to heart rate and no adverse side effects resulting from this combination.

Capsaicin, Green Tea and CH-19 Sweet Pepper — This combination of ingredients has the potential to be a serious weight loss booster. A study in the Clinical Nutrition journal found that this supplement helped to suppress the appetite of those taking it. At the same time, it increased the amount of energy produced by their bodies (calories burned). This led to a positive expenditure-intake ratio, making it easier for the subjects to consume fewer calories than they burned. That, right there, is the secret to effective, sustained weight loss, and this trio of unique ingredients may be a useful addition to your diet!

L-Arginine — This is a potent nutrient that plays a vital role in your reproductive health, particularly in the production of nitric oxide. However, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, taking L-arginine can encourage the production of healthy muscle tissue over fat tissue, and it can lower glucose and triglycerides in your blood. Mice who took L-arginine supplements gained less weight on a high-fat diet than their control group counterparts.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid — CLA, as this supplement is known, is an Omega-6 fatty acid that has proven to have anti-carcinogenic properties. One study, conducted in 2008, found that just 3.4 grams of CLA per day helped to reduce body fat significantly. CLA won’t just target overall body weight, but it can be the key to losing that stubborn body fat!

Calcium Pyruvate —Calcium pyruvate is a naturally-occurring compound that is produced when your body turns food into energy. The compound has been known to increase fat burning, and it can help to stimulate your metabolism. One 1999 study found that calcium pyruvate can, in tandem with a mild exercise regimen, have noticeable effects on body weight and fat.

Glucomannan —Glucomannan is definitely one of the strangest weight loss supplements, but a highly effective one nonetheless! It comes from a plant called the “elephant yam”, or konjac. It’s a water-soluble type of dietary fiber that will do wonders for suppressing your appetite. When you take the glucomannan, it will absorb so much water and liquid that it will swell up and fill your stomach. It makes you feel full, preventing you from eating too much. It’s low in calories and will slow down the rate at which your stomach empties, keeping you satiated for longer.

Water — While not technically a “supplement”, water can be your best friend when it comes to weight loss! First off, it will help to fill your stomach and keep you from feeling hungry. Having a few glasses of water prior to your meals will prevent you from overeating when you sit down to eat. Water also increases your metabolic rate and helps your body to function better, leading to better calorie-burning. Best of all, water has no calories, so you can drink as much as you want without overdoing it!